Great expectations for Saint Mary’s this time around

Friday, March 16, 2012 -- Anonymous (not verified)

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College Basketball

Friday, March 16, 2012

Author(s):

Ben Enos

OMAHA, Neb. — On the eve of its NCAA tournament opener, the Saint Mary’s men’s basketball team looked less like a team hoping to make a nice story, and more like a program determined to continue building a tradition of success.

The No. 7 seed Gaels won’t fly under the radar when they arrive at CenturyLink Center Omaha for Friday’s 4:27 p.m. game against No. 10 Purdue.

Some of that has to do with what the Gaels did two years ago, when a run to the Sweet 16 bolstered the Saint Mary’s brand on the national scene.

Gone from that team is the big personality of leading scorer and quote machine Omar Samhan. In its place stands a collection of mostly mild-mannered, focused players seeking to duplicate, and possibly surpass, that run.

"I think we have eight (players) that were on the team, whether they were redshirting or playing," Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett said Tuesday. "Two of them were starting on that team that went to the Sweet 16. That’s priceless. There’s only one way to get experience, and that’s by doing it."

The far larger reason that expectations are higher this time around is the manner in which Saint Mary’s (27-5) has gotten to this point.

For the first time in school history, the Gaels won both West Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles. They won the outright regular season title for the first time since 1989, in the process snapping Gonzaga’s 11-year reign as league champion.

Just because Saint Mary’s already has a list of lofty accomplishments doesn’t mean the Gaels will walk through their first game. Instead, they’ll be tested by a team in Purdue (21-12) that carries a Big Ten pedigree and an All-American caliber player in forward Robbie Hummel.

"I think coach (Bennett) made comparisons to USF," forward Rob Jones said Thursday. "They’ve got good players, they are kind of an outside team and they’ve got great shooters so we can use our scout from that to help.

What the Gaels won’t be is blinded by the bright lights. Having experienced big-time atmosphere this season — playing at Murray State, BYU and Gonzaga to name a few — the Gaels bring a battle-tested squad looking to again make an impact on the national scene.

"They run a lot of ball screen stuff, they really spread the floor with their shooters," Hummel said. "I think (Matthew) Dellavedova does a great job of finding their big guys rolling to the basket. It’ll be a little bit different from a lot of the teams we play in the Big Ten. They’re a great team."

— On the eve of his first NCAA tournament, Stephen Holt practiced with the full intention of playing against the Boilermakers.

Out since injuring his right knee Feb. 15, Holt has practiced full speed for some time now. Bennett said his sophomore defensive stopper could have played in the WCC tournament, but that the team decided not to push it.

"I’ve been itching to get back on the court," Holt said. "It just so happens to be the NCAA tournament, so it makes it that much more sweet."

He will play with a brace on his knee, saying he’d rather not wear it but will follow doctor’s orders. Holt will also come off the bench for the first time this season, as Bennett said the Gaels will keep their starting five from the WCC tournament intact.

"He’s taken some bumps and bruises in practice the last five days," Bennett said Tuesday. "You have to get through that. You’re a little hesitant about getting hit. He’s been hit, bumped and knocked to the ground and it feels fine."

— Omaha was nearly in full tournament mode Thursday, with all eight teams doing interviews and holding open practice sessions. Play starts Friday at 11:10 a.m. when Virginia plays Florida in a West Region game. Norfolk State plays Missouri 30 minutes after the conclusion of that game. Saint Mary’s and Purdue open Midwest Region play in the night session, and 30 minutes after they’re done, Kansas and Detroit will wrap up the day’s action.